With a 94% pass rate for first-time candidates, the NWU scooped the first position in the country in terms of pass rate. No other university had a pass rate of 90% or above.

 

The South African Institute for Chartered Accountants (SAICA) released the good news about the Initial Test of Competence (ITC: qualifying exam part 1) on 31 March 2017.

 

“The national average pass rate for first-time candidates was 81%,” says Prof Nico van der Merwe, programme leader for chartered accountancy on the NWU’s campus in Potchefstroom.

 

Highest number ever

 

In total, 93 of the NWU's candidates passed, which is the highest number in the history of the university. The NWU also had a combined increase of 40% in our African, Coloured and Indian passes compared to the previous year.

 

The results that the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Namibia (ICAN) released on the same day were just as impressive, with the NWU also achieving a 94% pass rate for its Namibian candidates. In fact, the NWU has two candidates on the Namibian top five list, Filippus Shikongo in second place and Leo Hamunyela in joint fifth place.

 

“If we combine the SAICA and ICAN numbers, the NWU delivered 110 new CAs to the marketplace in this exam, which again is our highest number ever,” says Nico.

 

For total marks earned, two of the NWU’s subject groups achieved a top three ranking nationally. They are Financial Accounting, which came first, and Auditing, coming in third.